Sensing systems for paintball loaders

ABSTRACT

There is a loader for a paintball gun. The loader includes a container for holding a supply of paintballs, a motor operated drive for feeding paintballs from said container through an exit tube communicating with said gun and sensing means associated with a segment of said exit tube. The sensing means is adapted to control the operation of said drive motor in accordance with pressure by or on a static column of paintballs in said exit tube.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to paintball guns or markers. More particularly although not exclusively it discloses an improved sensing means for controlling the operation of paintball gun loaders.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Paintball guns typically include a loader device which is mounted to the top of the gun housing. The loader is adapted to contain a supply of paintballs which are fed down an exit tube into the firing chamber of the gun as required. The paintballs may be fed into the tube by a rotating agitator disc or impeller means driven by an electric motor. In order to avoid jamming the loader some kind of sensor is necessary to shut down the agitator or impeller when the exit tube becomes full of paintballs. Prior art paintball loaders are known to use electromechanical and/or optical sensors to detect the absence or presence of a paintball in the exit tube. Alternatively prior art sensors may measure the torque applied by the motor or gear system driving the disc or impeller. Disadvantages of these prior art systems are that, in the former case, there is no differentiation between a paintball which is passing or stacking up in the tube, and in the latter case the torque measurements do not disclose a jam or other problem upstream of the exit tube. It is therefore believed that a more effective sensing system would be one in which the criteria for agitator control is solely a buildup of pressure on a static column of paintballs in the exit tube. This obviates the need for further information processing or guessing as to the status of a detected paintball and also avoids interference with sensor performance from upstream jams or difficulties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to ameliorate the aforementioned disadvantages and accordingly a loader for a paintball gun is disclosed, said loader including a container for holding a supply of paintballs, a motor operated drive for feeding paintballs from said container through an exit tube communicating with said gun and sensing means associated with a segment of said exit tube wherein said sensing means is adapted to control the operation of said drive motor in accordance with pressure by or on a static column of paintballs in said exit tube.

Preferably the pressure is detected by detecting deflection of said static column of paintballs in said segment of the exit tube.

It is further preferred that said sensing means includes a switch in a power supply circuit for said motor with said switch being operable by said lateral deflection.

It is further preferred that said switch is operable by a lever disposed in or adjacent a gap in an outer wall of said segment of exit tube.

In another aspect the invention further discloses a paintball gun which is fitted with the aforementioned loader.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One currently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the attached representations in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paintball gun fitted with a loader in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 is a elevation cross-section of the loader of FIG. 1

FIGS. 3 and 4 are detailed cross-sectional views of the loader of FIG. 1 showing the sensing means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring first to FIG. 1 there is a paintball gun of conventional construction with a main body 1, a barrel 2, a front handgrip 3, a rear handgrip 4, a trigger 5 and an exit tube 6 extending from the paintball loader (indicated generally as 7) down to the gun for feeding paintballs into said gun as required.

With reference to FIG. 2 a hopper 8 in the loader housing is filled with paintballs by opening a latching lid 10. The hopper has a floor which includes a spring loaded ramp 11, as well as a sunken race 12. The sunken race is configured to receive paintballs which can be forced around by the turning action of an impeller 13. A smooth exit from the race is provided in the form of the curving exit tube 6. Power from the batteries 13A is controlled by the use of a power button 14. A circuit board 15 is used to control the power circuit and distribute power to the impeller motor 16. A planetary gearbox system 17 transfers the motor rotation to the impeller.

In operation of the loader 7, when fitted to the gun, paintballs roll down the ramp 11 under gravity into the race 12 from the paintball container or hopper 8 located above said race. As the impeller 13 rotates individual paintballs 18 are pushed around against the inside wall of the race 12 and then outwardly through exit tube 6. During normal operation of the gun as shown in FIG. 3 the paintballs 18 flow freely down the curved exit tube 6 to the gun. They are not pressed together by the impeller 13 and follow the curved or arcuate segment 18A of said tube. A lever 19 located in or adjacent a gap 20 in the outside wall of this arcuate segment is pivoted about a pivot point 21. The lever 19 is preferably protected by a flexible membrane 23 extending across the gap. This flexible membrane is in place to protect a microswitch 24 from debris or liquids.

If the gun jams or firing otherwise stops the paintballs 18 are prevented from exiting through the tube 6, the resulting static stack of paintballs however continues to initially have a force applied to them by the impeller 13. This results in deflection of the stack from the natural arc in the direction of the arrow 25 as shown in FIG. 4. This force deforms the membrane 23 and pushes the lever 19 towards the microswitch 24. When the switch plunger 26 is depressed, the microswitch then stops the motor, preventing further force from the impeller. This prevents jamming and damage to paintballs in the race 12 and exit tube 6 while still leaving the gun available for immediate reuse when resumption of flow through the exit tube 6 removes pressure.

The switch plunger 26 is spring loaded, so that once the deflection is removed (usually by removing the obstruction in the exit tube 6), the switch moves under spring bias to the closed position whereby the motor is again activated to ensure a continuous supply of paintballs into the exit tube 6.

While it is currently preferred that the lever 19 is located in a curved or arcuate segment of the exit tube the invention is not limited to this. The lever may alternatively be located along a straight segment of the tube provided that it is long enough to be able to engage adjacent paintballs in the static column.

For the purpose of this description the exit tube is defined as beginning at the break 27 in the race wall or floor which allows paintballs to exit the race.

It will thus be appreciated that this invention at least in the form of the embodiment disclosed provides a novel and improved sensing system for agitator control in paintball loaders. It is believed that a sensing system according to this invention provides an improved and robust alternative to prior art systems which commonly require the use of microprocessors and are directed to sensing passage (movement) of paintballs through the exit tube rather than static build up. Clearly however the example described is only the currently preferred form of the invention and a wide variety of modifications may be made which would be apparent to a person skilled in the art. For example the design of the impeller and the shape and configuration of the exit tube, activator lever and microswitch may all be changed according to application and following further development by the inventor. The invention also extends to the use of other sensing means such as a piezo resistive pad or the like. 

1. A loader for a paintball gun said loader including a container for holding a supply of paintballs, a motor operated drive for feeding paintballs from said container through an exit tube communicating with said gun and sensing means associated with a segment of said exit tube wherein said sensing means is adapted to control the operation of said drive motor in accordance with pressure exerted by or on a static column of paintballs in said exit tube.
 2. The loader as claimed in claim 1 wherein the segment of exit tube is curved or arcuate.
 3. The loader as claimed in claim 2 wherein said pressure is detected by detecting deflection of said static column of paintballs in said arcuate segment of the exit tube.
 4. The loader as claimed in claim 3 wherein said sensing means includes a lever pivotally disposed in or adjacent a gap in an outer wall of said arcuate segment of the exit tube.
 5. The loader as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sensing means further includes a switch engageable by said lever.
 6. The loader as claimed in claim 5 wherein said switch is spring biased to a closed position and is operable by a plunger to an open position against said spring bias when engaged by said lever.
 7. The loader as claimed in claim 1 wherein said container is a hopper and said hopper includes a floor with a spring loaded ramp and a sunken race.
 8. The loader as claimed in claim 7 wherein said race is configured to receive paintballs forced around by a motor operated drive to enter said exit tube.
 9. The loader as claimed in claim 8 wherein said motor operated drive includes an impeller operated by an electric motor powered from one or more batteries.
 10. The loader as claimed in claim 9 wherein power for said electric motor is controlled by means of a circuit board and power button.
 11. A paintball gun when fitted with a loader as claimed in claim 1 